Counter-balancing lid support and hinge



Dec. 3, 1963 M. E. OSTROM 3,112,514 COUNTER-BALANCING LID SUPPORT AND HINGE Filed June 14, 1961 5 w m u e w u N N g 3; N N N N k E Marlin 5051'1'0 in.

m & v Q N x lt z arizqgs- United States Patent 3,112,514 COUNTER-BALANCING LID SUPPORT AND HINGE Martin E. Ostrom, Rockford, Ill., assignor to National Lock Co., Rockford, 111., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 14, 1961, Ser. No. 117,189 7 Claims. (Cl. 16-190) The present invention relates to a counter-balancing support and more particularly to a novel lid support and spring hinge assembly for pivotally and swingably mounting a lid or cover of a Hi-Fi, radio, television or other cabinet. This application is a continuation-in-part of appl-icants co-pending application Serial No. 36,317, filed June 15, 1960, now abandoned.

Among the objects of the present invention is the provision of a novel spring-loaded hinge assembly for a cabinet having a pivot-ally mounted lid, comprising a housing affixed to the exterior of a container and a lid wing mounted upon the exterior of the lid and pivotally mounted on said housing, a lid link mounted on the pivot for the lid wing and secured to the undersurface of the lid, a tension spring within the housing, a link pin bridging the lid wing, a spring link carried by and depending from the link pin and connected to the upper end of the tension spring, the spring link and link pin being shiftable as the lid is moved about its pivot to vary the tension on the spring and to counter-balance the weight of the lid, and means for adjustably mounting the lower end of the spring in the housing.

Another object of the present invention is the provision assembly secured to the rear of a cabinet and its lid adjacent one corner thereof, the view showing but a portion of the cabinet and its lid with the lid in a closed position.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vie-w in front elevation of the hinge assembly and showing the interior of the housing to be mounted on the cabinet and the manner of spring mounting of the hinge wing or lid support.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of the hinge assembly showing the component parts disposed in the operative position they occupy when the lid of the cabinet is closed.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view of the hinge assembly in vertical cross-section similar to FIG. 3, but showing the component parts disposed in the position they occupy where the lid of the cabinet is in normal or partially open position of approximately 65 from horizontal.

FIG. 5 is a partial view of the hinge assembly in vertical cross-section similar to FIG. 4, but with the lid in its fully open or extended position of approximately 85 from horizontal.

FIG. 6 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 2 and viewed in the direction of the arrows.

Referring more particularly to the disclosure in the drawings and to the novel illustrative embodiment there- I in shown, the present counter-balancing lid support and of a novel counter-balanced hinge assembly which will retain the lid or cover in an open position to permit ready access to the interior of the cabinet or chest. The hinge will also, with the added Weight of the lid or cover, retain the lid in a closed position. Further, a person may lift the lid to its open position with a minimum of eflort and may have access to the interior of the cabinet without fear of the lid falling from its open position.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a novel friction member in the hinge assembly whereby to retain the lid or cover in a partially or fully open position. The lid wing contacts this member upon opening of the lid or cover to initially stop the cover when it is positioned approximately 65 from horizontal to permit normal access to the interior of the cabinet. When required, the lid Wing can be moved while in trictional contact with the member to further open the lid to a position approximately 85 from horizontal for full access to the enclosed apparatus or components in the cabinet.

By application of the lid support and binge to the exterior of the cabinet, any interference with enclosed mechanism in the cabinet, such as a phonograph turntable or other equipment, is wholly eliminated and full access to the interior of the cabinet is assured. Furthermore, the novel assembly eliminates the necessity for conventional hinging and is simple to install in that it requires no mortising.

The present invention also comprehends the provision of a novel manner of adjustably mounting the spring to vary its tension and adapt the hinge to lids and covers of varying weights and sizes. The hinge is of a simplified construction which does not require any lever arms or camming surfaces for its operation. 7 Further objects are to provide a construction of maximum simplicity, efliciency, economy and ease of assembly and operation, and such further objects, advantages and capabilities as will later more fully appear and are inherently possessed thereby.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the novel hinge hinge is shown as mounted upon the rear of a cabinet or chest 10 provided with a pivotally mounted lid or cover 11 hinged for swinging movement along the rear edge to the upper rear edge of the rear wall 12 of the cabinet.

The novel hinge assembly 13 is shown mounted adjacent one corner of the chest 10 in the illustrated embodimeat, but can be combined with conventional hinges in several arrangements depending on. the weight and size of the lid or cover 11. If the-lid is relatively heavy, a hinge assembly 13 may be required adjacent each corner of the chest or cabinet 10. For. relatively lighter lids, the hinge assembly 13 may be located at one corner with a conventional hinge (not shown) at the other corner, or the hinge assembly 13 may be mounted intermediate the corners with conventional "hingesadjacent these corners. Also, a hinge similar to the hinge assembly 13 but without the counter-balancing mechanism may be mounted adjacent one corner and the hinge assembly 13 mounted adjacent the other corner. Thus the size-and weight of the lid determines the support best suited for the application.

The hinge assembly 13 includes an elongated hinge base or cabinet housing 14 formed as an inwardly opening channel having spaced side walls 15 and 16, a rear wall 17, and a base or bottom wall 18. The housing walls 15 and '16 are provided with integral outwardly extending anchoring flanges 19 with openings 21 and 22 to accommodate suitable securing means or screws 23-. The openings 22 are elongated and positioned on opposite ends of the two anchoring flanges 19 to provide suitable adjustment in mounting the hinge.

The rear wall 17 of the housing 14 is provided with an embossement 24 extending substantially the height of the housing terminating at its upper end in a circular enlargement 25. An opening 26 at the center of the circular portion 25 of the embossment is provided for the reduced shank 28 of a circular friction button 27, formed of nylon or suitable plastic material. The friction button 27 is located in the circular depression of the embossment 24 on the interior surface of the rear Wall 17 with the shank 28 extending outwardly through the opening 26 with the end of the shank fused or enlarged as at 29 to anchor and prevent removal of the button. The purpose of the button 27 will become apparent later.

Pivotally mounted on and at the upper open end of the housing 14 is a hinge wing or lid hinge member 31 having spaced side walls 32 and 33 and a top wall 34 having angularly arranged portions 35 and 36 which abut at a corner 37. With the lid 11 in closed position, the top wall portion 35 extends rearwardly and downwardly at a slight angle while the portion 36 extends rearwardly and downwardly from the corner 37 and at an angle of approximately 45 from horizontal. The hinge wing 31 is provided with anchoring flanges 38 extending from the side walls and each is provided with an opening 39 to accommodate suitable fastening means or screws 23 anchoring this hinge wing to the rear edge of the lid 11.

The hinge wing 31 is mounted on a pivot pin 41 passing through and anchored in aligned openings in the side walls 15 and 16 of the housing 14 and through aligned openings in the side walls 32 and 33 of the hinge wing 31. The pivot pin 41 is mounted relative to the cabinet and lid 11 so as to lie in the plane separating the lid and cabinet. A lid link or tab 42 is pivotally mounted on the pivot pin 41 to aid in supporting the lid 11. The lid link 42 is formed of a strip of metal which has been folded to provide a looped portion 43 conformably receiving the pivot pin 41 and abutting ears or projections 44 having aligned openings 45 to receive suitable fastening means 46 to secure the link 42 to the underside of the lid 11.

To hold the lid 11 in either open or closed position a spring assembly is mounted within the housing 14. It comprises a link rivet or pin 47 having its ends mounted in aligned openings in the side walls 32 and 33 of the hinge wing 31 so as to be above and behind the pivot pin 41 when the hinge assembly 13 is in the extended position with the lid 11 closed. Mounted on and encompassing the pin 4-7 is the looped upper end 49 of a spring link 48, the lower end of the link 48 having an opening 51.

A relatively heavy, helical tension spring 52 is enclosed within the channelled housing 14 with the hooked upper end 53 of the spring 52 connected to the spring link 48 through the opening 51. The hooked lower end 54 of the spring is located in a plane at a right angle to the plane of the hook 53 at the upper end, and is anchored to a spring nut 55 with the hooked end 54 conformably received in the spaced notches 56, A threaded opening 57 in the spring nut 55 receives the threaded shank 58 of an adjustment screw 59which also passes through an opening 61 in the base or bottom wall 18 of the housing 14.

Openings 62 in the sides and 16 of the housing 14 are so located as to be unobstructed by the depending side walls of the lid wing or hinge member 31 when the hinge 13 is in the position shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. When the openings 62 are unobstructed, an application pin 63 (FIG. 3) can be inserted therethrough to hold the hinge in'the position of FIG. 3 for the purpose of installation of the hinge assembly 13 on the cabinet 10 and the lid or cover 11.

The hingle assembly 13 will hold the lid 11 in open and closed positions, and counter-balances the lid to permit easy opening and closing thereof. In the extended or fully open position of the hinge assembly as shown in FIG. 5, the spring 52 is under little or no tension with the top wall portion 35 in parallel frictional contact with the exposed inner surface of the button 27, thus preventing further movement. In the normal open position of the hinge assembly 13 as shown in FIG. 4, the spring 52 is under a slight tension with the corner 37 abutting the button 27. When the lid is closed, the spring 36 is placed under maximum tension due to the arcuate movement of the link rivet 47 carrying the spring link 48. In the closed position, the weight of the lid 11 counter-balances the tension of the spring 52 to retain the lid in a closed position.

The initial tension of the spring 52 may be varied depending on the weight of the lid 11 on the cabinet 10. By turning of the screw 59 to adjust the position of the A. spring nut 55, the tension of the spring 52 is increased or decreased. This spring nut 55 is of substantially rectangular shape and fits rather conformably within the side walls 15 and 16 of the housing 14 and is thereby prevented from turning but is permitted vertical move ment in the housing.

When one or more of the hinge assemblies are to be secured to a cabinet 10,.and its lid 11, the hinge members of each assembly are moved to the position shown in FIG. 3 and an application pin 63 is inserted in the aligned openings 62 in the side walls 15 and 16. The hinge assembly is then secured to the rear wall 12 of the cabinet 10 and the lid 11 by the screws or attaching means23. The application pin 63 is then removed and the hinge is ready for use. Inlifting the lid 11 from the closed'position in FIG. 3, the lid will pivot until the corner 37 formed from the angularly disposed portions 35 and 36 contacts the friction button 27 to frictionally retain the lid in open position.

(FIG. 4) is suitable for most purposes. If the lid is to be opened to a greater degree for more complete access to the interior of the cabinet, the lid is urged upward with the corner 37 moving against and over the surface of the button 27. Movement continues until the top wall portion 35 (FIG. 5) is substantially parallel to and in frictional contact with the surface of the friction button and prevented from further movement.

While there is shown a preferred embodiment, it is understood that the same is susceptible of modification and change, and comprehends such equivalents inherent in this disclosure and the claims.

Having thus disclosed the invention, 1 claim:

1. A counter-balancing lid support and hinge assembly for a cabinet having a pivotally mounted lid, comprising a housing providing a hinge member aflixed to the rear of the cabinet and a lid wing lid above said housing, said housing being open at its upper end and closed at its lower end, means for pivotly mounting the lid wing to the upper end of the housing including a pivot pin extending through the housing and the lid wing and located in the plane of separation between the lid and the container of the cabinet, a lid link mounted on said pivot pin and extending in said plane of separation to contact the underside of saidlid, a link pin bridging and afiixed to the lid wing so as to be located behind and above said pivot pin when the lid is in closed position, a link pivotally mounted on said link pin and depending therefrom, a tension spring within said housing and attached at its upper end to said link to apply spring tension to said link and link pin, a spring nut shiftable in the lower end of said housing and retained against rotation therein, said nut being notched to receive and anchor thereto the lower end of said spring and provided with a threaded opening, and an adjusting screw extending through the lower closed end of the housing with its threaded shank received in the threaded opening in the spring nut whereby to adjust the position of said nut and the tension on said spring by turning the screw.

2. A counter-balanced hinge assembly as set forth in claim 1, in which the depending end of the link is provided with an opening and the spring nut is provided with spaced notches offset from said threaded opening, and the spring is provided with a hook at each end with the upper hook end received and anchored in the opening in the link and the lower hook end of the spring is offset from the longitudinal axis of the spring and is received and anchored in the notches of the spring nut.

3. A spring hinge assembly for pivotally supporting a lid on a cabinet and assisting in the opening and closing of the lid, comprising an inwardly opening channelshaped housing having an upper open end and a lower closed end, anchoring flanges on said housing adapted to be secured to the rear of the cabinet, an embossment on the rear wall of the housing, friction means received within said embossment and secured, to said housing, a hinge This normal open position of the lid.

attired to the rear of the wing pivotally mounted on the upper open end of said housing, anchoring flanges on said hinge wing adapted to be secured to the rear of the lid of the cabinet, a pivot pin extending through said channel and said hinge wing and located in the plane of separation between the lid and the cabinet, said hinge wing including a top well formed of two anguilarly disposed sections abutting at an obtuse angle, a tension spring in said housing, a link pin bridging said hinge wing, a link pivotally mounted on said link pin and depending therefrom, one end of said spring being connected to said link, a spring nut vertically shiftable in the lower end of said housing and provided with spaced notches for anchoring thereto tr e lower end f said spring and a central threaded opening, said link in being mounted in said hinge wing so as to be located e ind and above the pivotal connection between said 'nge Wing and said housing when the lid is in closed osition, the uper end of the spring being connected to said li k to tensionally retract said hinge Wing into said housing until the corner of said angnlarly disposed sections of said top wall abuts the friction means when the lid is opened, and an adjustment screw passing through an opening in the closed end of the housing and received in the threaded opening of the spring nut to adjust the tens on or" th spring by adjusting the. position of the spring nut.

4. A spring lunge assembly for pivotally supporting a lid on a cabinet as set forth in claim 3, in which said friction means comprises a plastic button eceived and anchored in said embossment, and said lid and hinge wing are normally open when said corner of the top wall abuts said plastic button but the lid can be urged to an ext nded open position where the top portion above said corner lies parallel to and contacts the frictional surface of said plastic button.

5. A spring hinge assembly for pivotally supporting a lid on a cabinet as set forth in claim 3, including a lid link mounted on said pivot pin between said housing and said hinge wing and extending along and secured to the lower surface or" said lid.

6. A spring hinge assembly for pivotally supporting a lid on a cabinet and assisting in the opening and closing of the lid, comprising an inwardly opening channel-shaped housing having an upper open end and a lower closed end, a friction button or" plastic composition mounted Within the channel of said housing, a hinge wing afiixed to the rear of the lid and pivotally mounted on the upper open end of said housing, a link connected to the underside of the lid and secured to said pivotal mounting, ten sion means in said housing and connected to said hinge wing for counterbalancing said lid, said hinge wing having a top wall formed of angularly disposed connected portions adapted to contact said friction button when the lid' is elevated, the corner of said connected portions abutting said friction button to hold the lid in normal, partial open position but with the lid adapted to be urged to an extended open position where the top portion above said corner lies parallel to and contacts the frictional surface of said friction button.

7. A spring hinge assembly for pivotally supporting a lid on a container of a cabinet and assisting in the opening and closing of the lid, comprising an inwardly opening channebshaped housing having an upper open end and a lower closed end, anchoring flanges on said housing adapted to be secured to the rear of the container of the cabinet, a hinge wing pivotally mounted on the upper open end of said housing, the pivotal mounting including a pivot pin extending through the channel-shaped housing and the hinge wing and located in the plane of separation between the lid and the container of the cabinet, anchoring flanges on said hinge wing adapted to be secured to the rear of the lid of the cabinet, a tension spring i said housing, a link pin bridging said hinge wing, a link pivotally mounted on said link pin and depending therefrom, said link having an opening therein and said spring being provided with a hook at each end with the upper hook received and anchored in the opening of said link, a spring nut shiftable in the lower end of said housing and provided with spaced notches for anchoring thereto the lower hook end of said spring and a threaded opening, said link pin being mounted in said hinge wing so as tobe located behind and above the pivot pin between said hinge wing and said housing and the longitudinal axis of said spring passing through said link pin, said longitudinal axis lying closely adjacent said pivot pin when the lid is in closed positiomthe upper end of the spring being connected to said link to tensionally retract said hinge wing into said housing when the lid is opened, and an adjustment screw passing through an opening in the closed end of the housing and received in the threaded opening of the spring nut to adjust the tension of the spring by adjusting the position of the spring nut.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNETED STATES PATENTS 63,730 Kirkpatrick Apr. 9, 1867 518,626 Pomeroy Apr. 24, 1894 1,122,322 Smith Dec. 29, 1914 2,189,818 Murrin eb. 13, 1940 2,584,372 Swedman Feb. 5, 1952 2,604,156 Lillethorup July 22, 1952 

1. A COUNTER-BALANCING LID SUPPORT AND HINGE ASSEMBLY FOR A CABINET HAVING A PIVOTALLY MOUNTED LID, COMPRISING A HOUSING PROVIDING A HINGE MEMBER AFFIXED TO THE REAR OF THE CABINET AND A LID WING AFFIXED TO THE REAR OF THE LID ABOVE SAID HOUSING, SAID HOUSING BEING OPEN AT ITS UPPER END AND CLOSED AT ITS LOWER END, MEANS FOR PIVOTALLY MOUNTING THE LID WING TO THE UPPER END OF THE HOUSING INCLUDING A PIVOT PIN EXTENDING THROUGH THE HOUSING AND THE LID WING AND LOCATED IN THE PLANE OF SEPARATION BETWEEN THE LID AND THE CONTAINER OF THE CABINET, A LID LINK MOUNTED ON SAID PIVOT PIN AND EXTENDING IN SAID PLANE OF SEPARATION TO CONTACT THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID LID, A LINK PIN BRIDGING AND AFFIXED TO THE LID WING SO AS TO BE LOCATED BEHIND AND ABOVE SAID PIVOT PIN WHEN THE LID IS IN CLOSED POSITION, A LINK PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID LINK PIN AND DEPENDING THEREFROM, A TENSION SPRING WITHIN SAID HOUSING AND ATTACHED AT ITS UPPER END TO SAID LINK TO APPLY SPRING TENSION TO SAID LINK AND LINK PIN, A SPRING NUT SHIFTABLE IN THE LOWER END OF SAID HOUSING AND RETAINED AGAINST ROTATION THEREIN, SAID NUT BEING NOTCHED TO RECEIVE AND ANCHOR THERETO THE LOWER END OF SAID SPRING AND PROVIDED WITH A THREADED OPENING, AND AN ADJUSTING SCREW EXTENDING THROUGH THE LOWER CLOSED END OF THE HOUSING WITH ITS THREADED SHANK RECEIVED IN THE THREADED OPENING IN THE SPRING NUT WHEREBY TO ADJUST THE POSITION OF SAID NUT AND THE TENSION ON SAID SPRING BY TURNING THE SCREW. 